Motorized vehicles may be equipped with various kinds of warning systems. These warning systems may be general warning systems that inform the driver of different operating conditions of the vehicle. For example, vehicles may be equipped with warning systems which may be used to warn the driver of low fuel amounts, high and or low engine temperature, a drop in oil pressure, problems in charging a battery of the vehicle, and doors and or trunks that may be open.
Motorized vehicles may be equipped with more advanced warning systems which may be used to warn the driver of the vehicle about potentially dangerous situations involving other traffic participants. For example, warning systems have been designed for vehicles that may be used to provide a driver with back-up collision warning, blind spot detection, lane-departure warnings, as well as driver-alertness monitoring, assisted parking, traffic sign recognition, and proximity warnings.
While the above systems do provide the driver with warnings of potential dangers, these systems fail to provide information about a braking intensity level of a vehicle located in front of the driver (hereinafter lead vehicle) or information related to paths that the driver may take in order to avoid a potential rear end collision. Presently, most vehicles have tail lights as well as a third brake light generally located in an upper or lower central area of a rear window of the vehicle. When a driver presses on a brake pedal of the vehicle, the tail lights and third brake light may illuminate in order to warn other vehicles that that the driver is braking. Unfortunately, the tail lights and third brake light may illuminate the same intensity no matter how hard or how lightly the driver is stepping on the brake pedal. Further, the tail lights and third brake light generally do not provide information related to paths that the driver may take to avoid a potential rear end collision.
Other systems, such as proximity warning systems may alert a driver that he is following a lead vehicle too closely. However, these systems generally do not provide information as to a braking intensity of the lead vehicle or provide information related to paths that the driver may take to avoid a potential rear end collision. It would thus be desirable to provide a vehicle warning system that provides information as to braking intensity and/or provides information related to paths that the driver may take to avoid a rear end collision.